Zodiac Academy 6: Fated Throne

Fuck. My. Life.

I stood in the Magic Compound with my back pressed to the wall that ran down the centre of the huge concrete space. It was fenced in everywhere, all the inmates contained within it as the guards watched from the outside. It was the only place in Darkmore where we were allowed to use our magic, and we only got a couple of hours in here at a time.

I created a sphere of ice in my palm, the relief of using my magic always sullied by the fact that I was stuck in an underground hell for the next twenty five years. Oh the joy.

Things weren’t all bad I supposed. Now that Darcy had broken the star vow between us, I’d stopped getting into fights twenty four seven. And Gustard was no longer breathing down my neck. I’d also managed to form something of a friendship with Roary Night too. His Shades watched out for me these days and I had to say I liked the guy.

I carved at the ice in my hand, moulding it and shaping it absentmindedly until it was taking the form of a bird. No, not a bird. A Phoenix. Of course.

I often dwelled on Darcy, how breath-taking she’d looked when she’d visited, how much I’d wanted to drag her into my arms and beg for her forgiveness. I knew every word of our conversation by heart and regretted at least eighty percent of them. But there was no room for regret in my life anymore. I had to push her away. It had to be like this. Even if I’d tried to apologise, what good would it have done? I didn’t want her forgiveness. I didn’t deserve it. I never would. So she’d had to come and go. Just like that. A brief encounter which meant more to me than every single day that had passed in this place since. I replayed it, mostly on mute might I add, so I didn’t have to listen to the cold detachment of her voice, but the memory of her standing before me in a dress that seemed designed to hook onto my darkest, most fierce desires had me in pieces.

Yeah just keep dwelling on it, asshole, that’ll cheer you up.

At least she seemed okay, though I imagined nothing could comfort her over what was going on with her sister. I just wished I could do more.

Roary appeared with a nod before pressing his back to the wall beside me, folding his muscular arms. This was Ethan’s turf for the Lunar Brotherhood, while the other side of the wall was ruled mostly by the Oscura Clan. Anyone who wasn’t aligned to either gang could move between the two sides relatively ignored though.

“Heads up, Crank’s about to blow,” Roary warned, nodding to the powerful Vampire who was pretty new to the prison. He’d been losing his shit daily while working on an appeal to get out. But the reason he was here had been splashed through the news. He’d murdered his whole family and buried them with his earth magic fifty feet under in his backyard. Fucking psycho.

“He lost his appeal this morning,” Roary murmured to me, pressing his back to the wall. “Guy’s gonna blow.”

Crank was shoving people to the ground and shouting obscenities. The guards were getting antsy beyond the fence and I cursed as Crank cast two wooden blades in his hands, stabbing two Fae in quick succession.

“Hey!” Officer Cain barked from beyond the fence, his taser shooting through the fence at Crank, but the Vampire acted fast, casting a whip of vines to smash it away from him. He dove on a bunch of weaker Fae and started stabbing and stabbing. I stepped forward with a dark growl, raising my hands to try and get the asshole’s attention.

“Crank!” I barked.

“Are you crazy?” Roary grabbed my arm, yanking me away but I growled as I shoved him off and I cast a whip of air at Crank’s back, sending him smashing to the ground.

Roary swore as Crank leapt to his feet and rounded on us, but I could take this motherfucker on. I damn well wanted to. I had plenty of rage in me I needed an outlet for and the stars were no longer working against me. Why shouldn’t I fucking do it?

A spear of wood shot toward me and I twisted my hand to cast my own shield a second too late. Roary tugged me aside and the blade slammed into the wall where my head had been and I sent a barrage of ice shards back at the fucker. He cried out as they sliced into him and a blast of fire tore out around him. Several Fae were set alight, screaming as they tried to run, while others laid charred and burned on the ground. There must have been eight dead already, it was a fucking massacre.

Guards started swarming into the compound and I let Roary drag me away as more Fae fell under Crank’s attacks and the guards dove forward to try and immobilise him.

Roary pulled me around to the other side of the wall, shoving me against it with a tut, his dark hair swinging forward over his shoulders.

“What the fuck was that?” he demanded. “You wanna get yourself killed?”

I shoved him off of me, making him stumble back as I snarled. “He was going for the weakest Fae in here.”

“How fucking noble of you to want to save them,” he laughed. “You wanna stay alive in Darkmore then you need to watch your own back and your allies’ backs. That’s it.”

“I’m not just gonna stand by while people die,” I growled.

“It was Fae on Fae,” Roary said.

“It was one maniac on a killing spree,” I countered. “All I did was turn his attention on me. That’s not against Fae law.”

“Fae law,” he laughed dryly. “The laws don’t apply down here. And last I heard, you were convicted for using dark magic against a princess of Solaria. So you’ve got a moral compass now have you?”

“Shut up.” I shoved his shoulders to force him back another step, still hungering for the fight.

“Or did you do it to save her pretty ass and her reputation?” He smirked and I growled at him.

“Shut. Up,” I warned.

“Gabriel Nox sent me a letter,” he said tauntingly. “It was very enlightening.”

“What do you want from me?” I snarled, pushing past him, but he just turned and followed me. “And why the hell is he sending you letters?”

“I dunno, but he had a little note in it which he wanted me to pass on to you.” He reached into his pocket and I frowned as my gaze followed it. What the hell was Gabriel playing at?

“Give it here then,” I urged.

We turned, pressing our shoulders to the wall as he subtly passed it over, but it slipped between his fingers, fluttering to the ground and I stooped down to pick it up.

“Turdpedo!” someone cried then a heavy splat sounded as something wet hit the wall above me.

Roary yanked me away with a disgusted noise and I stood up with the note in my fist, staring in horror at the honest to the stars shit splattered across the wall.

“Oh my, you just missed out on my most spectac-u-lar turd sandwich, boy,” Plunger’s voice reached me and I turned, finding the grey-haired creep pulling up his pants and I grimaced in disgust. He didn’t even wipe. “Must be your lucky day.” He turned and walked off and I frowned. Lucky? Maybe he was right. That was two bullets I’d dodged now. And I was pretty sure I would have rather taken the shard of wood to the eye than be hit with Plunger’s shit.

“What does the note say?” Roary asked like he hadn’t read it and as I skimmed my thumb over it, I felt a magic seal breaking on the surface that meant he was telling the truth.

Most of the guards had run to subdue Crank and help the wounded so no one was watching as I unfolded it and read the message.

You’re welcome. My vision showed that turd hitting you right in the mouth, Orio. Call me your fairy starmother today, because Jupiter is in your chart and you’re about to get real lucky. Follow my list below to the letter. Do NOT deviate from it.

Love, Noxy.

P.S. You have two seconds before a guard looks your way.

I glanced up, my heart beating wildly as I stuffed the note in my pocket just as Officer Lucius walked into view and gazed over at me and Roary with interest.

“What’s it say?” Roary whispered.

“It says you’re a nosy fucker,” I said with a smirk and he smirked back.

“Alright, keep your secrets, you shady asshole,” he laughed, pressing his tongue into his cheek.

The bell chimed, ending the session and I filed out of the compound with everyone else, avoiding the bloody patches on the ground as I went, the bodies already moved and the wounded long gone. I guessed working in Darkmore meant the guards were used to cleaning up a murder scene pretty fast and pretty fucking often too.

My heart beat harder as I made my way out of the yard and we were sent upstairs for dinner. I slipped my hand into my pocket as I kept to the centre of the crowd, reading through the to do list Gabriel had written out for me. Not that any of it made any fucking sense. But I trusted him implicitly, so I was going to make sure I did every damn one of these things, but fuck knew why. Maybe it was so I didn’t end up in a body bag at the end of the day. Comforting.

I reread the first item on the list.

Let the Wolves include you.

I headed into the Mess Hall and queued up among a group of Lunar Werewolves who were licking and grooming one another while I gave them a deadpan look as they got in my way, hands occasionally stroking me by ‘accident’ and some going for my star damned dick. Is this what you want Gabriel? For me to be dragged into a damn Werewolf orgy?

A hand suddenly groped my ass and I twisted around, finding Ethan Shadowbrook there. He barked a laugh, slinging an arm over my shoulders. I fought my instincts to shove him away and swallowed the growl in my throat as I heeded Gabriel’s words.

I swear to the stars, Noxy, if this ends with Ethan Shadowbrook taking me back to his lair and trying to have his way with me, I’ll kill you.

“Hey big boy, having fun with my pack?” He flashed his pearly white teeth at me as some of his Wolves brushed past me and started caressing him. He kissed them intermittently, seeming to forget I was there, but keeping an arm locked around my shoulders.

Don’t lose your shit.

I hated being tactile with anyone. Anyone except Darcy. Alright, and Darius. Apparently I only liked the D.

Ethan broke a kiss with a tall girl and turned to me again with a crooked smile. “This is fun, wanna make it more fun tonight in the library? Say, eight o’clock?” he offered and I bit my tongue on a fuck no, instead forcing myself to nod.

“Alright,” I grunted and Ethan’s eyebrows flew up.

“Really?” he asked and his pack started bounding around me, yapping excitedly and motherfucking hugging me. One guy reached for my junk and I caught his wrist at the last second, quickly hitching on a grin to cover my scowl.

“Later,” I growled. This had better be what Gabriel fucking meant.

Ethan gave me an appraising look, sucking on his lower lip for a second before sweeping past me down the line with his pack, overtaking a bunch of other inmates as they cut to the front of the queue. I blew out a breath, running a hand down the back of my neck before checking the next item on Gabriel’s list.

Use the sink at the far end and take what’s left.

I frowned, tucking it back into my pocket, figuring that wasn’t relevant just yet when I suddenly got the urge to pee. Fucking Noxy.

I left the queue, heading out the door and a bunch of guards gave me surly looks as I walked to the bathroom on the next floor down. I slipped through the door, using the urinal before heading to the sink at the far end like Gabriel had said.

Plunger strode in, walking right up to the sink next to mine and proceeded to take his jumpsuit off casual as anything, revealing his hairy grey chest and throwing me a dirty smile.

I wrinkled my nose, ignoring him but saw him drop his underwear in my periphery. By the fucking sun.

He propped one leg up on the sink and started trimming away at his pubes with a pair scissors he’d gotten from fuck knew where.

“Yeah, that’s the business. Ooh hello my pretty, aren’t you a curly silver treasure?” he purred.

Nope I’m out.

I was about to leave when I remembered Gabriel’s message and cursed as I forced myself to remain there, taking my time over washing my hands. This. Is. Hell.

“Mmm yeah, clippity clip my sweetness. Got to keep you tidy for tonight’s activit-ais.”

The sound of boots pounding into the room came this way and I looked up as Officer Cain strode in with a furious expression as he spotted Plunger standing there with his cock in hand.

“Twenty-Four!” he bellowed furiously and Plunger knocked the little pair of scissors into my sink, the soapy water hiding them from view. “Get fucking walking. You’re going to the hole this time, I’ve had enough of this shit.” He shot forward with his Vampire speed, grabbing his arm and Plunger threw himself against him, rubbing his ass against his crotch.

“Oh my, Officer, do be careful with me!”

“Get your fucking clothes on.” Cain shoved him away in disgust and Plunger tugged on his jumpsuit, leaving his dirty underpants on the floor as Cain dragged him away.

I looked down at the water concealing the scissors and cursed the stars. And Gabriel a bit too. Fucking pube scissors, Noxy??

I washed them off thoroughly as hell then pocketed them before checking the next item on the list.

Tell the Incubus he looks like shit. You’ll know when.

Great, that’s gonna go down like a treat.

I walked back upstairs for dinner and grabbed some food, sitting alone while I killed the hour. At five to eight, the Lunar Wolf pack got up and all started howling excitedly as they headed off in the direction of the library, a bunch of them shooting me hungry looks.

I checked the final items on the list for any sign that Gabriel was shitting me about this orgy. Are you sure you planned for this, Noxy?

Guess I had to trust his ass though. So I pushed out of my seat and headed to the door, my gaze snagging on Sin who cornered Poltergeist against the wall. “You owe me three tokens for the commissary, ghost man,” he growled. “Pay up.”

Poltergeist shook his head in a panic. “I – I don’t have them. But if I can just have a bit longer I’ll-”

“You’ll what? Poop them out? I don’t have time for your intestines to produce the goods. I’ve got a need for chocolate that won’t quit. And if I don’t get chocolate, I get hangry, and you don’t want me to get hangry do you, ghost man?”

“N-no. Please, just a little longer,” Poltergeist begged and I slowed my pace, taking a breath.

Well this seems like the perfect time to be an asshole.

“You look like shit today, Sin,” I called and he swung around like I’d hit him with a baseball bat.

“Come the fuck again, pretty fangs?” he growled.

“You look like shit,” I deadpanned, shrugging and he lunged at me with a holler, throwing a fist that I ducked. But he came at me like a savage once more, twisting around behind me and leaping onto my back. His teeth sank into my shoulder and I snarled as I flipped him over so he hit the ground beneath me with a thwack.

“I can bite too, honey pie,” he said through bloody teeth, his eyes wild. “I’ll bite deep and make you hurt so bad you’ll scream for your momma.”

“Unlikely.” I glanced over my shoulder, spotting Poltergeist high-tailing it out the door. I checked my list as Sin scrambled to his feet.

Take it like a Fae.

I prayed those words didn’t have anything to do with the pack orgy Gabriel had set me up for, but then Sin’s fist slammed into my face and I stumbled back, tasting blood. He laughed wildly then slapped me on the shoulder as I cursed.

“Have a good evening, bestie.” He sauntered off as I rubbed my jaw, stretching it out. Bestie?

I headed out the door and made my way down to the library, stepping through the frosted doors. The sound of Ethan’s pack howling, groaning and gasping carried from the back of the room and I guessed they’d made a start without me. I read the final item on the list as I turned down an aisle, wondering what the hell Gabriel expected to achieve by all this.

Shoelaces.

I looked up as I tucked the list away, my eyes falling to Gustard who was with some of his gang, all of them crowding around someone further down the aisle. I scowled as I realised they were shoving Poltergeist between them and laughing.

“Does picking on an old man make you feel strong, assholes?” I asked.

Gustard turned his head, sneering then striding toward me as his little gang of shits immediately jumped up at his back.

“Not that it’s your business, but something precious has been stolen from me. A blade of fortune grass,” Gustard purred, my gaze travelling over the spider tattoo on the side of his face. He smoothed down his immaculate jumpsuit, regarding me as I gave him an icy look.

“I d-don’t have it,” Poltergeist stammered.

“There you go, he doesn’t have it. So I’m sure you fine, upstanding Fae will let him go now,” I said dryly then moved to step past Gustard, but a big dude with a large gut pressed a hand to my chest to stop me. His uniform marked him as a Minotaur and his cowish face confirmed it as he snorted angrily.

“Get your hand off of me,” I demanded calmly, my skin prickling under his touch.

“Or what?” he laughed, the rest of the group swarming around, closing in on me on all sides while a big girl with buck teeth held onto Poltergeist.

My jaw tightened as I glared at Gustard, ignoring his pets. “I challenge you to fight me like Fae.”

Gustard laughed and the rest of his crew did the same. “Do you hear that boys? The big bad Vampire wants to fight me like Fae.” He moved forward, smiling at me cruelly. “We’re not Fae anymore though. Didn’t you get the memo? We’re animals. And animals do what they have to to survive.”

“What do you want?” I snapped.

“Well some little thief has stolen my fortune grass and come to think of it, you seem just the type of sneak who would do it,” Gustard growled.

“I don’t have shit,” I said dismissively.

The Minotaur pulled my arms behind my back and a Lion Shifter moved forward to pat me down. I huffed out a breath impatiently then my heart lurched as the Lion pulled the pair of pube scissors out of my pocket, waving them victoriously.

“Carrying weapons are we, Vampire?” Gustard sneered, then nodded to the Minotaur who locked me in a choke hold as another two assholes lunged forward to keep me still. “Teach him a lesson, Angus.”

My heart leapt as the Lion jumped up and down with the scissors, eyeing my face greedily. My gaze dropped to his feet, his shoelaces hanging open and I guessed Noxy really was saving my ass today. The Lion lunged toward me and I stamped down on his laces, making him fly at me with a yelp of surprise. His aim was thrown off and the Minotaur screamed, releasing me and knocking the others flying as I stumbled away. I darted through a gap in their ranks, glancing back to see the Minotaur falling to his knees, grasping at the scissors sticking out of his throat.

Gustard took his leave, jogging away from the carnage as a guard shouted out and came running over to see what had happened.

I grabbed Poltergeist’s arm as he stood stock still staring at the chaos and I dragged him down the next aisle, putting as much distance between us and that bleeding Minotaur as possible.

We rounded into a dark aisle in the far right corner of the library and Poltergeist wheezed as he caught his breath. “Thank you,” he said heavily.

“It’s nothing,” I said, waving him off but he clutched my arm, tugging to make me look down at him.

“I wasn’t sure if I could trust you,” he whispered in a rush, his yellowy eyes flicking back and forth between mine. “I have so many enemies.”

I frowned at the guy, figuring he was paranoid or some shit but then he rolled up his sleeve and showed me the faded mark of the Virgo star sign on the crook of his elbow.

“You’re Guardian bonded?” I asked in surprise. “To who?”

“My Ward is dead,” he breathed, leaning closer, the small man having to tip toe to speak in my ear. “I once served Kraveen Dire, a friend of your father’s. I knew Azriel Orion well.”

My throat tightened as shock jarred through me.

“I met you once, when you were just a boy. That was long before I ended up in here for breaking my eternal vow,” he went on in a ramble.

“What vow?” I asked in confusion.

“I had to be here, it was my fate. I was a royal guard so I stole from the king, breaking my vow to the royals. My betrayal landed me here.” He moved closer, his eyes wild. “I wanted to trust you the first moment you stepped into the prison, but there are so many rumours circling, that you are Guardian bonded to an Acrux. And one must never trust an Acrux.”

“Darius is different to his father,” I said protectively and Poltergeist’s eyes widened. I went on before he could try and question me on that, “What’s your real name?”

His eyes flitted left and right. “Jasper Lumien. Listen,” he said urgently, his grip tightening on my arm. “Before Kraveen died, your father came to him with a very important message from the Queen to say the wheels of fate were in motion and there was nothing she could do to stop it.”

“What?” I blurted and he hushed me, drawing me further down the dark aisle. “Queen Vega?”

He nodded intently. “We were the last, you see?”

“The last of what?” I frowned.

He wet his lips, his voice dropping to nothing but a breath. “The Zodiac Guild.”

“You’re a member?” I asked in surprise and he nodded again, lifting his thumb to his mouth and biting down until blood was drawn. I frowned as he smeared the drop of blood along the inside of his forearm and my heart stuttered as a sword appeared along the length of it, seeming to shimmer up from beneath his skin, each constellation etched into its surface. I’d seen the symbol before and the breath was crushed out of me as I realised what this meant. My dad had been one of them. The elite society created to serve and protect the royals.

“One of the last tasks set to us by King Vega was to protect the Imperial Star,” Jasper whispered.

I grabbed onto him, pulling him closer as desperation filled me. “Where is it? Where is the Imperial Star?” I demanded.

He shook his head fiercely. “I don’t know. I wasn’t its keeper. Our Guild Master Ling Astrum was given it by the King. The Queen had instructed him to entrust it to our Guild brother, Kraveen Dire, if anything were to happen to them. Kraveen held the Imperial Star for some years, but when he died, it was sent to your father.”

“But he’s dead now too,” I said, shaking my head. “And all I have left of him is his diary. But I can’t read it, it’s locked by powerful magic and I don’t know the word which will open it.”

“I think I do,” he whispered and my heart thundered against my ribs.

“How?” I growled, my breathing growing frantic. The answer could be so close, if this guy knew how to give me that passcode then the Imperial Star could be in the hands of Darius and Darcy by nightfall. “Tell me.”

“When Astrum first came to us with the Imperial Star, we bound ourselves,” he rasped. “All four of us made a promise. Queen Vega foresaw a terrible fate, that the world would fall under the rule of a fierce and cruel Acrux and there was no other path, no possible way to change it. Solaria would descend into chaos, the Orders would be divided, those of weaker power eradicated in time. Every Fae would be watched and controlled. Our children and our children’s children would die if they ever fought back.”

“Get to the point, Jasper,” I snarled and he nodded quickly.

“We consulted with the stars and the shadows alike,” he breathed. “And one answer came to us. The single path, the only hope.”

“Which was?” I pushed.

“The Vega Twins. If they could be saved and the Imperial Star could be returned to them, there was a chance that they might succeed against the monster who sought to take their throne,” he whispered. “But the price was high,” he half choked out. “The King and Queen would fall, and the last of the Zodiac Guild had to give their lives for a new prophesy to arise.”

His hand trembled around my arm, but his eyes were full of hope.

“Tell me what I have to do,” I begged, certain he held all the answers we’d been looking for for months.

“I’m afraid this is the end of my journey,” he whispered, smiling strangely at me. “As one can vow on the stars, one can also vow on the shadows. Kraveen, your father and I did just that. A promise to die.”

“What are you talking about? Please, you need to tell me everything you know, you must have some idea where the Imperial Star could be hidden,” I demanded, but he shook his head, still smiling that strange smile.

“The stars showed us each our true paths, the last steps they wanted us each to take before their debt must be paid. My task led me here to Darkmore to wait for Azriel’s son, to tell him everything so long as he was pure of heart. And now I know that you are, I am left with my final duty to the Guild.”

The hairs on the back of my neck stood to attention as an intense energy seemed to surround us. It felt as though the stars themselves were turning their gaze to watch us and my lungs started to labour.

“The stars whispered a single word to me, a word I have held in me all these years, waiting for you. And now I know why,” Jasper breathed.

I swallowed what felt like a razor blade in my throat, clinging onto this guy who could change everything.

“What’s the word?” I demanded, hunting his eyes as if I could read it from them.

He leaned closer again, whispering it to me in a slow and measured breath. “Ankaa.”

My lips parted as I recognised that word. “That’s-”

“The brightest star in the Phoenix constellation,” he answered for me, smiling even wider. He pressed a hand to my cheek, his eyes brimming with tears. “You look like him, dear boy. It is good to see one last familiar face.”

He groaned suddenly and the scent of blood hit my senses though my Vampire was locked down deep inside me. I gasped as he stumbled away, a shank held in his grip as he stabbed at his gut again and again.

“Stop!” I cried, lurching forward to grab him as he started to fall. I caught him before he hit the ground, but he didn’t seem to see me, his eyes looking somewhere through me and his lips parting like he was gazing at something beautiful beyond me.

“Wait!” I begged, then turned my head. “Help! I need a guard! Someone help!”

Jasper fell still in my arms and I stared at his peaceful expression in disbelief as the sound of footsteps came from both ends of the aisle.

I was pulled away from him and I fell back on my ass, staring at Jasper as my mind reeled from all he’d told me.

There was one thing that kept ringing in my head like a bell chiming on repeat. I had the password to open the diary, I was certain of it. My father had known this moment would come. And now his secrets were just waiting for me to discover. It didn’t matter that Jasper didn’t know where the Imperial Star was, because my father surely had.

***

After a round of Cyclops interrogation, it was confirmed that I had nothing to do with Jasper’s death. And thanks to the guards leaving me in isolation all night while they waited for the Cyclops to arrive at the prison for his shift the next morning, I’d had time to train my mind and hide away the secrets I didn’t want him to see.

As I was escorted back to my cell, excitement and anticipation laced my veins. The second I was locked up, I hung a sheet over the bars and moved to my bed, grabbing the diary out from where I’d stashed it in a slim hole cut into the mattress.

I sat on my bunk, flipping open the book and taking a deep breath, my heart thudding powerfully in my chest.

“Ankaa,” I whispered to the diary and words unfolded before me, spreading across the first page in a hand written note from my father.

Dearest Lancelot,

If you are reading this, then the stars have aligned and fate has given the world a chance. I bound this book with a word I saw spoken to you in a vision gifted to me from Merissa Vega. The Queen has seen the path that will lead you to the truth. And it lies within this diary.

Firstly, I want to apologise to you, my boy. I never wanted to leave you and Clara behind. If there was any other choice in it, I would have taken it. But my death will buy a chance for the world and the kingdom I love so dearly. Merissa gave me a glimpse of the life you have led and I’m sorry for what you have lost, but there is a chance yet for happiness. And that is all I have ever wanted for you and your sister.

When you witnessed my death, I’m afraid it was an illusion meant for your mother to find. When I later discovered that you had seen it, I was heartbroken. But I could not reveal myself to you. For my real death has been planned for years, my boy, and it will have come to pass long before this letter reaches you. My true body will play an important part in your fate, so please forgive me for the pain I caused you.

My heart crushed as I thought of the fire I’d seen him consumed by, believing he was cast to ruin by dark magic. I’d just been a kid and it had seriously fucked me up. How could it not have been real? And what did he mean about his true body being important?

To leave you with your mother troubles me greatly. I’ve seen what she will become, and it is a sad and unfortunate fact that there is no love lost between us. It pains me to tell you, but our marriage was designed by Lionel Acrux many years ago. Stella was and will always be a close friend of his and I suspect her heart always truly lay with him. But don’t pity me, Lance. You and Clara were the true loves of my life, and I regret nothing.

There are many things Merissa was unable to show me of the future, but she offered me these words that she didn’t understand herself. ‘You are the only one who can save Clara, and you will know how when the time comes.’ Whatever fate has befallen her, I know that you will always protect one another and I have faith that you can make it right.

So I entrust my secrets to you and may the stars shine in your favour. The rest of this diary will be unreadable to the disloyal. It is bound by the magic of the Tenebris Lunae and so you may only read it under the light of the full moon. You must destroy this note to keep this secret safe.

I love you, son. And I know you can pass the tests that await you. Wherever I may be, know that I miss you and will be waiting for you beyond the Veil.

A.O.

P.S. Give Lionel Acrux hell for what he has taken from you and what he is yet to take.

I clutched the book harder, my breaths coming unevenly as I flipped through the rest of the pages and cursed as I found them empty. I tore out the note my father had written and read it ten more times before I carried it to the sink, shredded it into tiny pieces and washed it away. The last words of my father. A keen and eternal pain tugged at my chest over his loss. A loss that had never been a magical accident at all. He’d given his life to change fate. He’d offered the Vegas a chance to succeed against Lionel. And I had to make sure I didn’t let him down.

But how could I do that when I couldn’t even read the diary in my cell? I’d have to sneak it up to the Order Yard once a month, chart the moon cycles… It wasn’t going to be easy and I’d have to risk carrying it around with me. And the chances of me being offered time in the yard when the moon was full were low. Fuck, this is not good.

“One-Fifty!” Cain shouted beyond my cell and I stood up, folding the diary and stuffing it into my pocket just before he tugged down the sheet covering the bars. He eyed me suspiciously then stepped up to the door and made a radio call to get my cell unlocked.

“Follow me,” he growled and I frowned as I stepped out of the cell. It was early as shit; they weren’t even taking the count yet.

“What’s going on?” I asked.

“Your Dragon friend is here,” he said coldly, leading me out of the cell block.

“How is he allowed here outside of visitation?” I balked.

“Special circumstances,” he scoffed, glowering at me. Fucking asshole had a serious attitude problem.

“Right, well thanks for making that clear,” I said dryly.

He led me up into the visitation corridor but instead of sending me into one of the rooms, he dragged me down to the security door at the end, swiping his keycard against it then scanning his magical signature and taking a retinal scan. My brows lowered as he tugged me through it into a small room where a buzzing, humming magic filled the air. When it stopped, Cain tapped in a code for a thick metal door opposite us and it buzzed loudly as it opened. He guided me outside, nodding to an officer on duty as we passed through the waiting room and over to the elevator where two cameras stared down at us.

“You’re taking me up?” I gasped. “What for?”

“Quit talking,” he snarled. “Or you can have words with my fucking taser.”

He had to make two radio calls and type in another code to get the elevator open. We stepped inside as the doors slid wide and we shot up toward the surface, my heart thumping wildly as I waited to find out what the fuck was going on.

The doors opened again and we stepped out into a large white room, a set of security doors standing just beyond a guard behind a booth.

“Here.” Cain shoved me toward the booth and I gazed in at Officer Lyle as he signed a form then pushed it out through a slot for me to sign too.

“It’s your lucky day, buddy,” he said brightly. “You’re getting out of here.”

“What?” I gasped, nearly choking on my own damn tongue. “How’s that possible?”

How the fuck had Darius pulled it off?

He chuckled, picking up a tray with a ziplock bag of my clothes in it and another with the personal items I’d had on me the day I’d arrived. He pushed them through the slot and jerked his thumb at a door beside his booth. “Head in there to change.”

I followed his orders in a daze, stepping through the door and pulling off my prison jumpsuit. There must have been some mistake. How could they just let me go? What had Darius done to buy my freedom?

I started to worry about the consequences of me leaving this place and everything I’d sacrificed to be here. If I left, what would that mean for Darcy? But this surely couldn’t be right anyway. People didn’t just get released from Darkmore. Not without an appeal at least. Something is seriously fucking wrong.

I pulled on the suit I’d worn the day I’d been dragged away from Zodiac and tied on the friendship bracelet Tory had given me. I tucked my wallet into my pocket with my Atlas then hid my dad’s diary in the other, my heart drumming out a frantic beat in my chest.

I pushed through the door and lifted my hands up to Cain, showing him the magical cuffs shining on my wrists. “Am I getting these off?”

Cain released a dark laugh, shaking his head at me and dread twisted in my stomach as he tugged me through the security door. He led me outside and fresh air gusted around me, the sun shining down on my face. I tilted my head toward it with a groan of happiness before Cain yanked me around to face a large armoured truck. My heart dropped off a ledge, smashed through three glass roofs and hit the ground with a splat that made it explode.

Lionel Acrux stood there with his arms folded and a dark grin on his face that said I was in a world of fucking trouble. And holy shit did I know it.

My friend Francesca stepped out of the armoured truck in her black FIB jumpsuit, a sharp V forming between her eyes as she looked at me. She moved forward, drawing me away from Cain who headed back inside without another word.

“Lance, you’re now under house arrest. It’s the King’s orders,” she breathed, glancing over at Lionel who smirked victoriously.

“I’ll ride in the back with him,” Lionel announced, opening the door for me and gesturing mockingly for me to get in.

In the pit of my gut, I knew this was worse than staying in Darkmore. My pulse thrashed against my eardrums and I tried to come up with some way to refuse this. But Lionel was the King now, how the fuck was I supposed to get out of this?

Fran gripped my wrist, giving me an intent look that told me to comply before drawing me toward the back of the truck.

I glared at Lionel as I passed him by then climbed inside, dropping into a seat. Lionel followed me in and Fran shut the door for him before moving to drive the vehicle.

“Good morning, Lance,” Lionel purred, looking at me like a smug fucking bastard as he cast a silencing bubble around us. “We have a lot to discuss.”

“What the fuck do you want?” I spat and he stole the air from my lungs with a wave of his hand.

“I am your King, dare to speak to me that way again and your sister will pay the price for it.”

I glowered at him as my lungs began to burn and he continued to hold my life in his grasp, watching me closely as I started to convulse, my eyes rolling back into my head.

He let me breathe again with a casual flick of his wrist and I coughed heavily, choking down a lungful of air as I bit back the curses I wanted to fling at him. I wasn’t going to risk him hurting Clara and he knew it. The fucking asshole.

“Now listen to me,” Lionel growled, leaning in closer, the scent of expensive cologne and power rolling from him. “You are going to do exactly as I say because I officially own you, Lance Orion. You are mine. And if you step a toe out of line you will regret it. You are still a convicted criminal and the entire FIB will come for you if you try to run from me.”

I said nothing as my hands balled with rage. All I wanted to do was tear into his throat with my teeth and bleed him dry, but I wouldn’t get access to my Order until the suppressant in my veins wore off.

I hated this man, I hated him with the heat of a thousand fucking suns.

“What do you want?” I snarled and he smiled in a way that set me on edge.

“My Seer brought me some interesting information this morning. It seems you are the key to finding the Imperial Star. You have some sort of diary in your possession, yes?”

I gaped at him and I swear I heard the sound of my soul screaming.

“I’ll take that as confirmation,” he said smugly. “I cannot take it from you as it seems only you can decipher it, but you will work to unveil its secrets and hand them to me. Do you understand?”

Francesca threw a worried look at me over her shoulder even though she couldn’t hear what we were saying. But I guessed when the King of Solaria kidnaps you from a maximum security prison, it was unlikely you were heading off on a fun-filled day to the zoo.

“You will agree to this, Lance,” he growled, his jade green Dragon peering out of his eyes. “You will swear it on the stars that you will make every effort to find the Imperial Star.”

My mouth was too dry, my mind working on overdrive as I tried to figure out a way out of this. He knew about the fucking diary. He was going to lock me up and force me to reveal its secrets to him.

Only…he hadn’t explicitly said that. He was asking me to promise to find it. And that was exactly what I intended to do anyway. I might have been a washed up bastard of a professor, but I was still a wily one.

Lionel took a key from his pocket, cocky as anything as he twisted it tauntingly between his fingers. “In return, you will have a house on my property and some semblance of freedom within a shadow ward created by Clara. You will be allowed to see my son regularly and of course, you will have access to your magic and Order twenty-four-seven.” He unlocked my cuffs, and magic rushed to my fingertips, the will to fight him nearly overwhelming me. But I couldn’t defeat Lionel Acrux, even if it would have been worth it to tear his face off before I went down in a blaze of fire.

Once I got my Order back, I could try and run, but that would only mean the entire FIB would come hunting for me and what were the chances that I could really get out of this truck in one piece anyway? Even if I made it, then what use would I be to anyone? I couldn’t be away from Darius for long with the Guardian bond tethering me to him, and Lionel would get his talons into me sooner or later. Besides, it could take a while for the suppressant to wear off and my Order to awaken.

No, the asshole had me cornered.

He offered me his hand, his eyes glittering with victory as I slid my palm into his, my upper lip curling back.

“So we have a deal?” he asked.

“I’ll make every effort to find the Imperial Star,” I swore and a clap of magic ran between us, binding me to him in this promise. And I will make every effort to ensure it never falls into your greasy palms, Uncle Lionel.